Gas-engine



(No Model. y I 2 Shets-Sheefi 1. F, A. RIDERKU S. VIVIAN.- GAS ENGINE.

No. 533,922; Patented Feb. 12, 1895.

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N5 Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2'. F.- A. RIDER & S. VIVIAN.

\ GAS ENGINE.

N0. 533,92Z. Patented Feb. .12, 1895 v I. 5.10% W Tu: No'Rms versus co.Pwomuma, WASHINGTON. n. 04

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c As-ENciN'EH SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 533,922,dated February 12, 1895. Application filed April14, 1894. Serial No.507,583- (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK A. RIDER and SIMON VIVIAN, residents of FortWayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engines; and we do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and ex.- act description 'ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichitappertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to an improvement in gas engines and moreparticularly to such as are known in the art as explosive gasengines,the object of the invention being to so construct a singleacting multiple cylinder explosive gas engine as to insure a continuousand even application of power. to the crank shaft of the engine. v

A further object is to construct a gas engine of the class specified, insuch manner as to establish a natural balance of all the moving parts ofthe engine.

A further object is to produce a multiple cylinder explosive gas enginewhich shall be simple in construction and efi'ectual, in all respects,in the performance of itsfunctions.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts ashereinafterset forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation partlyinsectionof our improved engine. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view on the lineo:a: of Fig. 1. v I v A represents a suitable base, above which three(more or less) pairs of cylinders'B, B

are-supported by means of legs or standards a, said legs or standardsbeing conveniently made integral with the cylinders B and at their lowerends are secured to thebase A by means of suitable fastening devices. 7

The upper cylinder B of each pair (which is the cylinder in which thepower to drive the engine is created), is made of smaller bore than thelower cylinder B (which constitutes a pump cylinder) and said cylinder Bis preferably made with a chamber at in its wall for the reception ofwater by means of which to prevent the excessive heating of saidcylinder. Within the cylinder B a, preferably hollow, piston O islocated and provided at its upper end with a head I) and packing rings11'. A :piston C is located within the cylinder B and provided at itsupper end with a contracted head 0 adapted to enter and also constitutethe lower head of the piston 0. Each piston G is connected with a crankof a crank shaft B by means of a pitrnan B The pistonsO, O are connectedtogether by means of a rod 0' having a head 0 adapted to enter a recessin the head b and having screw threads 0 at its lower end to mesh withscrew threads in a perforation in the head 0. Adjacent to each cylinderB a valve casing D is located and provided with an inlet valve (1 and anoutlet valve d, the chamber (1 between said valves being adapted tocommunicate, through a duct or passage (1 with the upper end of thecylinder B. Gas and air will be supplied in proper quantities, to thevarious inlet valves 01 from a governing or mixing valve E, by means ofacommon duct or channel e, and from the outlet valves (1, the explosivemixture will enter a duct or channel f, from which it will pass, throughvertical ducts or channels f, to ducts or channelsf by which it will beconducted to charging valves'g located coincident with the up-- per endsof the power cylinders B, and from said charging valves, the explosivemixture will flow through ducts h into the upper ends of the powercylinders B above the piston 0. Each valve will preferably be providedwith an adjustable nut 43, by means of which to afford access tosaidvalves.

In the wall of each cylinder B, a chamber 4' is made and adapted tocommunicate with the lower portion of said cylinder through openings 3'and with said chamber 3' an exhaust pipej communicates. A perforation kis made inthe wall of the power cylinder and communicates with the upperportion of the exhaust chamber j, said perforation being adapted to beclosed by means of a valve is. The purpose of this valve is to reducecompression when the engine is being turned over for starting and istermed the starting valve.

As illustrated in the drawings, the engine has three double cylinders,each fitted with a double headed piston from which the power developedis transmitted to the cranks of the crank shaft of the engine in theusual manner. There being three cranks, one hundred and twenty degreesapart and each stroke of the piston being equal to one hundred andeighty degrees on the crank circle, it is evident that explosive mixturemust be continuously flowing through the channel 6 to one of the pumpcylinders and it is further evident that one or the other of the pumpcylinders will always be discharging into the channel f and keeping aconstant supply of "fresh mixture for charging the power cylinders. Nowit will be seen that when the lower or pump cylinder B moves downwardly,the explosive mixture, supplied to the duct or passage eby the governoror mixing valve IE, will be made to pass through the inlet valve d andenter the chamber d over said valve, from which it will be drawn by thepiston 0', through the duct (i into the upper end of the pump cylinder,in which cylinder the mixture will be measured, the quantity of themixture being commensurate with the space between the top of thecylinder and the upper end of the piston 0 when the latter is at thelower extremity of its throw. When the pistons C, 0

move upwardly the explosive mixture will be made, by the piston C, toreturn to the chamber (1 through the duct or passage d from whichchamber it will pass through the valve (1, and enter the channel f.-

In Fig. 2 the piston and cranks are shown in the extreme upper positionand the space remaining between the piston O and the charging valve g isfilled with compressed explosive mixture, which has passed from thechannels f f and through the charging valve g. Ignition now takes place,resulting in a sndden rise in the pressure of the mixture and the pistonis driven downwardly. On reaching the lowest position the piston Ouncovers the exhaust ports j in the wallof the cylinder and allows thebu rncd gases to escape through the exhaust ports 3', chamber j, andpipe 9' to the atmosphere. Fresh mixture then enters the power cylinderthrough the-valve g and displaces any burnt gases which may remain. Onthe return or up stroke of the piston the exhaust ports are closed andthe fresh charge of mixture contained in the power cylinder iscompressed until the piston reaches its upper position, when ignitionagain occurs and the piston is driven downward as before described. Itwill be seen that the power cylinder is charged with the fresh explosivemixture during the period that the cranks are passing the bottom centerand exhaust ports are open. This charge of fresh mixture is not takenfrom the pump directly under the power cylinder being charged but mustbe supplied by some other pump piston which is at that time discharginginto the space leading to the charging valves. In this case the supplyof fresh mixture is driven into the power cylinder, not by the pumpdirectly under it but by the pump piston attached to the crank that isone hundred and twenty degrees in advance of it on the crank circle.

During the downward movement of the piston the pump piston C will serveto draw a fresh charge of explosive mixture into the pump cylinder 13,as above explained.

Each double piston is made to give an impulse at each revolution of thecrank shaft, making three separate impulses for every revolution of theengine shaft and insuring an absolutely steady development of power.

lVe do not confine ourselves to the use of three cylinders, as it isevident that more or less might be used to accomplish the desiredresult, nor do we wish to confine ourselves to the use of the enginewith the cylinders placed vertically, but,

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a gas engine, the combination with two or more pairs of cylinders,one cylinder of each pair being a power cylinder and the other a pumpcylinder and one located in alignment with the other, pistons in eachcylinder and connected together in pairs, a crank shaft having cranks anequal number of degrees of a circle from each other, and piston rodsconnecting the pistons to the cranks, of three ducts for the explosivematerial, valves controlling the passage bet-ween two of these ducts,pipes or channels connecting one of the duets with the third, and valvesfor controlling the passages into the power cylinders, substantially asset forth.

2. The combination with several pairs of cylinders, valve chambersincommunication with the cylinders of each pair, and valves therein, ofchannels connecting these chambers in series and pipes connecting two ofthe channels, substantialiy as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK A. RIDER. SIMON VIVIAN.

\Vitnesses:

L. W. IIUDREY, II. TM. BIEYER.

